A Season with Athena, the debut CD from Calgary, Alberta songwriter Toupey Luft, is named in honour of the Greek goddess of wisdom and creativity. Luft believes in the freeing power of that force. She's an advocate of music's healing power not only in her own life, but in the lives of the disabled through music therapy.

The CD certainly reflects the joy and passion Luft lives through her songs. On the other hand, it's quite rough around the edges, which is to be expected at an early stage of a songwriter's career.

The fact is, it's really, really hard to make a good CD. Also, songs that seem to work just fine "live" often require more finesse in the studio to make them listener-friendly. In a live setting, the performer's physical presence helps the music along. In Luft's case, I suspect she's a likeable person who would come across well on stage. In a recording though, we don't have the benefit of the real human being, so the music alone has to suffice.

That means it all has to be in tune and well-played, which takes a lot longer and requires a lot more cash. This presents a dilemma to a newcomer. Do you go ahead and record an album that you can sell at gigs, even if you're not extremely polished yet, or do you wait and potentially lose sales and promotion? It's a difficult decision.

I worry that on this album, some of the inadequacies (particularly in the first few songs) may prevent decision-makers from seeing what Luft has to offer. Vocals, instruments that are slightly out of tune and not quite in the groove, lyrics that are sometimes a shade too personal and veering toward the over-earnest ... these things detract from the healing, joyful impression Luft would like to make.

However, there are some bright moments here, and they may not be the ones Luft expects. First: "My Parents Were Hippies." This is straightforward, honest and funny. If she chose to, going the "quirky" route wouldn't be a bad idea for Toupey (which is, after all, a pretty quirky name). If she has more humour in her arsenal, I'd say use it. It's at least as appealing as the political, socially-responsible stuff, which if it's not done really well can come across as overly earnest and trying too hard (and I say this as someone who shares the same ideals).

"Rushin' In" is also very good, with universal, simple lyrics and very pretty harmonies. It shows that Luft has considerable potential as a songwriter. Finally, "I'm Doin' Better Now" is a catchy, affirming anthem, written with restraint and simplicity and performed with confidence. I'd have put it first, not last.

In future projects, Luft could consider keeping the arrangements really simple, like she does on the appealing "Twist," to highlight her appealingly vulnerable voice and honesty. Or she could choose the strongest, most commercially appealing songs ("I'm Doin' Better Now," "Rushin' In") and invest in an excellent producer and players to make them sound really polished. Either approach could work well for Toupey Luft, an honest and generous new voice in Canadian folk music.

- Rambles
written by Joy McKay
published 29 March 2003

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